Here are the Top-10 Things the Pandemic Has Changed Forever

Our way of life has certainly changed in the last several weeks. What we used to do we may never do again and what we thought the future was going to look like has changed as well thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic. What the future brings is debatable, but some things we can say right now have changed for good. A recent AARP story (May 4, 2020), written by Andy Markowitz, listed the 10 things he thinks the pandemic has changed for good. They are:

Working from home

Forty-two percent of survey participants said the experience has made them want to work from home more. Businesses are seeing the benefits of this as well.

Seeing your doctor

The University of Michigan's National Poll on Healthy Aging (which is co-sponsored by AARP) found that only 4 percent of people over 50 had seen a doctor virtually in the previous year. Look for that to spike dramatically.

Shopping for groceries

Online purchase and home delivery of groceries has surged amid coronavirus lock-downs. This trend will continue to grow.

Staying in touch

With virtual visits with loved ones the pandemic has moved our social lives online.

Wearing face masks

Wearing masks, commonplace in many Asian countries, has taken hold among the larger U.S. public so expect it to stay that way.

Going to the movies

The theatrical movie business movies will be one of the slowest things to return and many cinemas will close. A bright spot for the business might be small independent cinemas will benefit.

Traveling by air

Travelers can expect a different experience in the airport and on an airplane, for years to come. Airlines and airports will have to up their hygiene game. Masks, which several U.S. airlines are now requiring for crews and passengers, will remain common in airplanes..

Riding public transportation

The pandemic has put public transit systems in the unenviable position of urging people not to use them unless absolutely necessary. Coming back from that will be difficult and will involve changes in how transit agencies operate.

Protecting your privacy

In the absence of a vaccine, contact tracing will be with us. That means new technology will be needed to protect the personal information users must share to make contact tracing work, like their health histories and the identities of people they've come in contact with.

Washing your hands

Thanks to the coronavirus, we all now know how to properly wash our hands. According to a Bradley Corporation survey, one-third of Americans now classifying themselves as “germaphobes” and seventy-eight percent of respondents report lathering up at least six times a day, more than double the pre-pandemic rate. Expect alcohol-based hand sanitizers to remain popular.